In 1833 a man named Alfred was born. His father was a manufacturer of explosives and this allowed Alfred to learn the family business. When Alfred was 29 an explosion took place in the factory and killed 5 people, including Alfred’s brother. Alfred used this tragedy as motivation to later invent a safer explosive – Dynamite. When Alfred was 55, another brother died. A French newspaper erroneously published Alfred’s obituary instead of his brother and condemned Alfred for his invention of dynamite. Calling him the “Merchant of Death”. It was a significant wakeup call in his life and completely refocused the trajectory of his life. Alfred, also known as Alfred Nobel, went on to give most of his money to the poor and developed the Nobel Peace Prize to honor men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and for working towards peace. He died 8 years later and left the equivalent of $250M to fund future peace prizes.
Every leader will face changing environments that cause them to pivot based on external circumstances. The pandemic of COVID-19 is one of those circumstances.
Since we’ve all heard enough ways COVID-19 is affecting us negatively, here are some thoughts on how to lead during challenging times.
EMPATHY OF LEADERSHIP: We’ve heard the difference between Sympathy and Empathy. Sympathy is seeing someone in a hole and saying, “Hey, I’m really sorry you’re in this hole.” Empathy is seeing someone in a hole, climbing down into that hole, sitting next to them and saying, “Hey, I’m really sorry you’re in this hole.” The people we are leading and working with are being affected in very real ways by the current state of our country. Let’s get outside our own perspectives, stop “navel gazing” and being consumed with our own worlds, and ensure we’re acknowledging the difficult things facing many outside their workplace.
INNOVATION IN LEADERSHIP: Within literally hours, organizations have moved to a remote environment. This will absolutely change the way things get done. We are forced to do things differently and this can be great news! Lean into this tension. You’re going to find gaps in the way things are typically communicated, you’re going to have to trust your people more, your ability to manage the same way won’t work. This can be a great asset. “If you always do, what you’ve always done… You’ll always get, what you always…”
SACRIFICIAL LEADERSHIP: I was once called to an emergency meeting where we had to figure out how to cover a large loan payment coming up and our normal capital wasn’t going to cover it. Every team member was coming up with creative ways to leverage our resources and some even offered to delay their paychecks to cover the payment. Except one person, the CEO. The same CEO who was later found out to be taking significant more funds from the organization than anyone realized. Let’s just say, his staff didn’t gain any respect for him after they found out. People trust a leader who lives and leads sacrificially. Everyone is being hit by the economic ramifications of what we’re dealing with in our country. As leaders, let’s serve our teams and colleagues sacrificially and build upon a culture of trust.
STRATEGIC REST & PLANNING FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP: Let’s face it, you’re going to have more time on your hands in the coming weeks. The evolving environment we’re in is going to create unusual gaps in our time. Use this time wisely. Embrace it. Don’t become wound up by what you cannot do or get done. Embrace this time to be present and give your mind some rest. Also, give your mind time to think ahead and plan more strategically as we come out of this current crisis. What can be birthed from your leadership, your team, your organization through these challenging circumstances?
Know this friend. Don’t be fearful - This too shall pass. Keep serving your people.